Key findings about religious restrictions around the world in 2021
The most common kinds of government restrictions on religion in 2021 included harassment of religious groups and interference in worship.
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Globally, Government Restrictions on Religion Reached Peak Levels in 2021, While Social Hostilities Went Down
In 2021, government restrictions on religion – laws, policies and actions by state officials that limit religious beliefs and practices – reached a new peak globally. Harassment of religious groups and interference in worship were two of the most common forms of government restrictions worldwide that year.
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Religious restrictions around the world
For more than a decade, Pew Research Center has been tracking global patterns in restrictions on religion – both those imposed by governments and hostilities committed by individuals and social groups.
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China’s Christian population appears to have stopped growing after rising rapidly in the 1980s and ’90s
Between 2010 and 2018, the share of Chinese adults who identify with Christianity remained stable at about 2%.
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10 things to know about China’s policies on religion
The Chinese government closely regulates religious activity – here are 10 things to know about their policies on religion.
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Anti-Jewish harassment occurred in 94 countries in 2020, up from earlier years
Incidents against Jewish people in 2020 ranged from verbal and physical assaults to vandalism of cemeteries and scapegoating for the pandemic.
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Religiously unaffiliated people face harassment in a growing number of countries
Religiously unaffiliated people were harassed by governments, private groups or both in 27 countries in 2020.
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A closer look at changing restrictions on religion
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Key findings about restrictions on religion around the world in 2019
Social hostilities around the world involving religion declined in 2019 to the lowest level in five years.
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